COIMBATORE: A textile shop owned by a local BJP functionary here was set on fire by two miscreants early today, police said.
CCTV footage in the area showed the two, who came on a motorcycle, pouring petrol into the shop of Bhuvaneshwaran by lifting the shutter a bit and throwing a lit match stick around 3 am, police said.
Though people sleeping nearby alerted Bhuvaneshwaran, BJP's Ganapati area secretary, on noticing smoke emanating from the shop, the fire got extinguished on its own by the time police arrived at the scene.
Some decorative glasses and some textile articles were gutted in the fire.
One of the culprits was wearing a helmet while the other covered his face with a monkey cap, police said adding further investigation was on.
The incident comes close on the heels of a similar attack on a welding shop belonging to a BJP ward level functionary The incident comes close on the heels of a similar attack on a welding equipment shop belonging to another BJP member in the same locality.
Police are investigating whether there was any link between the two incidents.